Blues & Thunderbirds Announce Partnership Extension – Hockey Writers – St Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues and the Springfield Thunderbirds have announced a partnership extension through the 2030-31 season. In their three seasons as the Blues' AHL affiliate, the Thunderbirds captured the Richard F. Canning Trophy as Eastern Conference champions in 2022, reaching the Calder Cup Finals for the first time in club history. They lost to the Chicago Wolves, the Carolina Hurricanes' AHL affiliate in five games. Springfield also won the AHL President's Award as Team of the Year that season.
BREAKING NEWS: The Springfield Thunderbirds and @StLouisBlues announced the extension of their organization until the end of the 2030-31 season!
– Springfield Thunderbirds (@ThunderbirdsAHL) October 4, 2024
Thunderbirds President Nathan Costa said “The Blues and Thunderbirds share the same core values regarding player and staff development and maintaining a deep commitment to their communities. Our partnership has helped us grow our franchise both on the ice and across the region. We look forward to seeing the next generation of Blues stars hone their talents in Springfield in front of the best fans in the AHL.”
Last season, the Thunderbirds had a record 20-game shutout streak, including a 14-game hitting streak to end the season. They struggled on the ice, going 30-37-3-2, but were led by veterans Adam Gaudette, Matthew Peca, and Jakub Vrana, who helped develop young prospects in Zack Bolduc and Zach Dean.
The Blues are expecting a number of prospects to turn professional in the coming seasons, so strengthening their relationship with the Thunderbirds was important. Prospects like Dean, Colton Ellis (or the correct name), Dalibor Dvorsky, Ondrej Kos, Adam Jecho, and David Jiricek are expected to see time in Springfield, and Otto Stenberg, Theo Lindstein, and Jimmy Snuggerud were also selected, depending on their development. .
The Blues begin their NHL season on Oct. 8 against the Seattle Kraken at the Climate Pledge Arena. From there, they will host their home opener on Oct. 15 at the Enterprise Center when they host the Minnesota Wild.
Source link
